Subject: Why I'm Marching: A View From Rural America
From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1999 18:32:20 EDT

Join 1 Million Gays, Lesbians,
Bisexuals, Transgendered Persons,
and Our Enlightened Allies In Washington, DC
on April 30th, 2000 for the 4th National GLBT March on Washington!

Why I'm Marching  
An article by Butch McKay, Board of Directors
Millennium March on Washington for Equality

Permission granted to reproduce, reprint, or redsitribute

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the Millennium March on 
Washington for Equality, to be held April 30, 2000. Some of the most often 
asked questions are "Why march?" and "Why now?" and "What are we marching 
for?"

Everyone has an opinion and I'm not here to support or reject anyone's 
personal views, only to offer you reasons why I will be marching. Growing up 
in the South and being gay was not always a comfortable life. Early on I 
learned and mastered the art of living a double life. While I prided myself 
on never denying my homosexuality when asked about it, I never took a stand 
or spoke out on issues affecting the gay community. I was afraid of losing my 
employment, afraid of loosing my friends, and fearful of bodily harm from 
rednecks in my neighborhood. 

However, if I was totally honest, I would tell you that I was also suffering 
from internalized homophobia.  Active in my church and having been a 
missionary with the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board, I had been taught 
that to be gay was the ultimate sin. Thankfully I had a wonderful and 
supportive family that assured me that there was nothing wrong with me, and I 
was able to deal with the rejection of my church. So one of the reasons I'm 
marching is to send a clear message to the religious right that I'm 
reclaiming my spirituality. I want gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered 
youth to know that the churches cannot deny them a spiritual life.

I live with shame of standing silently at the grave of my friend John who was 
brutally murdered and his naked body dumped beside a busy highway outside of 
Birmingham, Alabama. He was murdered by a person he had provided a home for 
and had shared a bed. The guy pleaded he murdered him because he made a pass 
at him. He was found not guilty. I failed to speak out against this injustice 
for fear of repercussions. 

I live with the shame of silently attending the funeral of my good lesbian 
friend Janice.  Janice loved motorcycles, and while working at a gay bar in 
her hometown, she met a guy who was riding a new Harley. He offered to ride 
her home. She had previously waited on him and felt safe with him, thinking 
he was gay. Her dream ride was to be her last. He took her into the woods and 
raped and murdered her and hid her body. She was found days later. Again I 
said nothing. I only mourned. I wasn't alone in my silence, few if any spoke 
out for fear of being outed. I will never be silent again! I will be marching 
for John and Janice, with a guilty heart. I will march for Mathew Shepard and 
Billy Jack Gaither and all victims of hate crimes and call on the national 
leaders to pass and enforce hate crime legislation.

I have a loving partner of 22 years. We have no rights or protections when it 
comes to employment. Our straight married friends enjoy a lot of benefits 
denied to us. We have been together longer than most of them. I will be 
marching for fair and equitable employment practices.

We live at the beach in Florida, a wonderful scenic atmosphere in which to 
bring up children. But we are denied to the right to adopt children. Florida 
remains the only state where gays cannot legally adopt. I will be marching 
for legal unions or marriage for gay couples and the right to adopt and raise 
children.

The year 2000 is a mile marker for all people, an I cannot think of a more 
appropriate time to take a stand and be visible on issues that are so 
critical to our future. We need to let those seeking political office and 
those currently serving, that the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered 
community can make or break their chances on getting elected or staying in 
office. I will be marching to draw attention to the importance of the voting 
booth. I will be calling on all our community to register and to vote. I will 
be marching for political gain.

As Director of an AIDS Service Organization and with eleven years of service 
to the HIV/AIDS community, I have another reason to march. AIDS is not over 
and it is time to recommit our community, our time, and our resources to 
fighting this war. I go to Washington, D.C. and to Tallahassee on a regular 
basis to meet professionally with legislators, and will continue to do so, 
but often it is necessary to take to the streets to show massive support for 
our program needs. I will be marching for the thousands of lost lives claimed 
by this epidemic. I have personally had to say good bye to almost eight 
hundred people lost to AIDS. I will be marching for the millions of people 
living with HIV/AIDS. I will be marching for AIDS awareness, funding, 
education and prevention. 

Last and perhaps the most important reason I will be marching, will be to 
call attention to the plight of sexual minorities in rural America. Our 
issues and goals are similar to that of all our brothers and sisters 
regardless of where they live, but there is a big difference in the way in 
which we achieve them. We cannot afford the same level of visibility in small 
towns that people can enjoy in metropolitan areas. We rarely have the backing 
of our local officials or the support of our friends, neighbors, and often 
our families. Coming out is a very difficult choice, but one which I believe 
is necessary. I attended the March on Washington in 1993 and it totally 
changed my life. Returning home to the Florida panhandle, I faced my own 
homophobia, and gained the strength to deal wih the larger community 
homophobia. I agreed to an interview with the local paper to talk about the 
March and the issues that gay people face  living in the Bible Belt. That 
interview was total liberation for me and made me stronger, more self 
secured, and prouder than I have ever been. In small towns we depend on 
federal mandates and protections as the most effective way to secure our 
freedom. I will be marching for equal rights for our citizens in all our 
communities, especially those in the rural areas of this great nation.

Each of you has to make your own decision of whether to support and 
participate in the Millennium March on Washington for Equality. You can 
support the March and still support the important local issues facing you at 
home. I encourage you to do both; both are empowering and important and each 
can contribute to the strength of the other. Please join me in Washington. 
Let's march together with pride! 

PRIDE is not a birthright, it is a COMMITMENT!

Butch McKay
MMOW Board Member from Florida

For more information on the Millennium March on Washington, visit the 
official website at http://www.mmow.org -- or send e-mail to [email-masked].

Authorization granted to reprint, reproduce or distribute this information.